Burned by Anti-Gun Credit Card Company

Wix website provider is similar to shopify and won't let me use their payment processing.

They still send me emails every week telling me to set it up but they've pulled it once already. Their excuse was that they have to keep the credit card service and banks happily on their end.
Why on earth would I sign up again?!
Worrys me that they might take the entire site down but so far that's been okay.
 
VictoryRidgeCS said:
VRS has been working through a difficult couple of weeks now. Our credit card processing company suddenly, and without notice, stopped processing payments for our allegedly “high-risk” business, because we sell guns. Thankfully this only applied to our online store.

While complaints piled up and our workload doubled by taking credit card payments over the phone, or letting customers know how to send an E-Transfer, there was radio silence from the company. Finally nearly two weeks after throwing a wrench into our online business, FISERV Canada sent us a letter in the mail stating that they were terminating our merchant agreement.

They state in the letter that they “...understand that this action may disrupt and inconvenience [our business]” and that they “hope that this notice will provide [us] with sufficient time to make alternative arrangements”. Clearly they do not understand or care as this letter was dated the very day they terminated the agreement. In fact no, they did not give sufficient time to make alternative arrangements.

This isn’t just about us. This is a growing trend in the financial world—anti-gun bias within payment processing companies is making it harder and harder for firearm-related businesses to operate. Many major merchant processors, banks, and financial services are quietly severing ties with firearm retailers, often without any notice.

We know we’re not alone in this. Have you had a similar experience? Leave a comment and let’s expose these companies! We also want to compile a list of pro-gun merchant services that actually support the industry—so if you know of any reliable ones, share them here!

Firearms retailers, take this as a warning: If you’re using a big-name payment processor, you could be next. Be proactive. Have a backup plan. And let’s work together to support firearm-friendly businesses that won’t leave us high and dry.

Thank you for your understanding, we should be back to normal online later today: 07 Feb 2025.
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Sorry to hear about this. Is the CCFR aware of this predicament?
 
I operate a business facilitating payments for firearms companies across Canada, and am well aware of banks deciding to reduce their "risk appetite" by abandoning their portfolio of firearms merchants. This makes me sick to my stomach and I have spent years working with payment acquirers to help them understand how firearms businesses are on the opposite spectrum of high-risk.

While I'm sure many have experienced both positive and negative outcomes with payments companies (similar to Canadian telcos), here are some facts I can share about Canadian payment processors and their appetite towards firearms merchants:

Traditional "old-school" processors:
  • Moneris - generally firearms friendly, easy adjudication for established businesses
  • Elavon - firearms friendly, quick approvals
  • Global Payments - firearms friendly, however a strenuous adjudication process
  • Chase - only known to be firearms friendly for F2F, not e-commerce
  • Fiserv/First Data - recently changed their policy to no longer be firearms friendly

Emerging processors:
  • Shopify - not firearms friendly - publicized this sentiment on several occasions due to shareholder influence
  • Wix/Squarespace - generally not firearms friendly - they underwrite through a traditional bank and follow their anti-firearms policies
  • Square - generally not firearms friendly - underwrite through Chase and follow their policies

Some may have experienced positive results from some of the processors that are not friendly above; however, in my experience it is simply a matter of time before you are either audited or put on a reserve (where they will hold your funds until they decide not to).

The most effective way to mitigate risk is to use an agnostic payment gateway like Authorize.Net or NMI (there are many others) which makes it easy to switch out processors if/when needed.

Good luck and godspeed.
 
I empathize.
But I need more info before I get too bent out of shape here.

The company specifically told you, in writing, that they don't want to do business with you because you sell guns?

Or that because your business sells guns, they consider you high risk?

Or that your business is small and their data says businesses like yours are prone to default?

Or that you operate out of a dingy garage in a notoriously crime ridden neighbourhood or in a hollowed out volcano?

Why not post the letter they sent you??
 
Beeron said:
I empathize.
But I need more info before I get too bent out of shape here.

The company specifically told you, in writing, that they don't want to do business with you because you sell guns?

Or that because your business sells guns, they consider you high risk?

Or that your business is small and their data says businesses like yours are prone to default?

Or that you operate out of a dingy garage in a notoriously crime ridden neighbourhood or in a hollowed out volcano?

Why not post the letter they sent you??
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We had been doing business with this company for over a year now, and they previously were ok with firearm businesses. They recently changed their policy to consider all firearm sales as "high-risk" for reasons only they know. Most likely activist shareholders at the american parent company.

We are a well established business with a good reputation. They did not arbitrarily dump us because of fraud or any other shortcoming on our part.

This is 100% about being a firearms retailer.
 
DancesWithEmptyCasings said:
Sorry to hear about this. Is the CCFR aware of this predicament?
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We haven't gone to CCFR about this as it is based off of the decision of an american parent company and their activist shareholders. The "predicament" is already resolved with a new company. This post is more about spreading the word that Fiserv Canada is now Anti-Gun and so are others that you just haven't heard about yet.
 
VictoryRidgeCS said:
We had been doing business with this company for over a year now, and they previously were ok with firearm businesses. They recently changed their policy to consider all firearm sales as "high-risk" for reasons only they know. Most likely activist shareholders at the american parent company.

We are a well established business with a good reputation. They did not arbitrarily dump us because of fraud or any other shortcoming on our part.

This is 100% about being a firearms retailer.
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Thanks for that<
It's total BS and I hate that they can do it.
 
struff55 said:
i by no means support there actions
but they can choose to do business with who ever they want that is how it is in world where free choice dominates
just as you also have that choice
if you think for one minute that they give a crap about you of your business you are missing something
as you said find another service and get back to business
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Lol place that in a racial or physical appearance context and see how for you got without getting sued by some part of the government.
 
I remember this happening to business member here possibly 2 or 3 years ago. They basically said the same thing. Short warning and basically a change in company policy. No real solid answers why except firearms are high risk. Your not the first and won’t be the last to deal with this issue. Screw them and move onto hopefully something better.
 
I wouldn’t mind having a sticky listing the methods our vendors here have had trouble with. There will always be companies happy to process payments for us as customers.
 
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